Windward Community College will hold the first ever Palikū Arts Festival, a unique interactive arts experience on April 2, 2011 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in and around the grounds of Palikū Theatre on the Windward CC campus in Kaneohe.

The family friendly festival will include exciting hands-on opportunities to get involved in art, music, literature, theatre and dance. This event is FREE and open to families and individuals of all ages. Food will be available to purchase from a variety of local food vendors. Those attending are encouraged to come in costume or festive clothing.

The festival’s theme is “The Art Adventure,” with an emphasis on “doing” art.Windward CC art professors, instructors and their students will be on hand with supplies and assistance to those who want to express their creativity in a variety of ways—from painting, drawing, and sculpting to dancing, acting or making music, prints, masks, puppets, poetry and prose.

Or, attendees can observe art at work with demonstrations in Hale Palanakila's art studios, or check out the art exhibition in Gallery ‘Iolani featuring graffiti artists/Windward CC students Dane Hew-Len and Josh Aipoalani, masks from Ben Moffat’s collection, and hats made by Windward CC Professor Emeritus Jacqueline Maly. In addition, the gallery will have an area to try on costumes and masks.

Palikū Theatre will feature two performances of “Our Amazing Adventure,” a family friendly show featuring masks, stilts, puppets, video and Cirque-style clowning at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Imaginarium will be showing “The Secret of the Dragon,” projected on the planetarium dome, about two youths who meet a friendly and mysterious dragon. Flying on its back across the universe, the young people learn about worlds beyond their own and about themselves in the process. Shows at Palikū Theatre and Hōkūlani Imaginarium will have a nominal fee.